I have always had a fondness for tunes that swing. As much as the rock and roll explosion of the 50's was seen as a rebellious move away from the culture of the previous generation, the platters that were spinning at the sock hop retained the swing rhythms and energy of the big band era.

As a child in the 70's, much of the television I viewed was interspersed with advertisements for K-tel "oldies but goodies" collections of songs from each of the eras (plus a good measure of 60's doo-wop). The music caught my ear, and as a result, I was primed and ready when the rockabilly craze of the mid 80's took hold.

Later on in the 90's, there was a big revival of the big band sound, and some of the same (stray) cats stepped in to help the youth cut a rug or two. Even last year, the Christina Aguilera single "Candyman" brought back a vintage sound. I don't know if this is the sign of another revival on the way, but it seems like we're overdue.

Anyways, there were lots of cuts with triplet tempos back in the 80's. In 1984, the band Wang Chung released there first full length LP "Points On A Curve." Much of the album had a moody New Wave tone to it that earned them comparisons to Japan, Ultravox, and Naked Eyes. But the most successful single from the album was a little more upbeat, with a sultry swing feel that was "cool on craze." What was the name of the song?

Bonus Question: Here's an obscure and long forgotten gem that's well worth the trip: back in the late 70's, The burgeoning San Francisco scene gave rise to Romeo Void, Translator, Wire Train, and a band called the Explosions. The dynamic front woman of this band would later go solo and release a truly fabulous album on her own. Clash bassist Paul Simonon was involved with the album at some level, and was even married to our mystery singer for a spell. What was her name?

The world lost Tony Wilson la2 weeks ago. The eclectic promoter and Manchester icon got involved in promoting bands after attending an early Sex Pistols show in the mid 70's. He was a reporter for Granada Television in Manchester at the time, and the inspiration from this show lead him to presenting punk era musicians like the Sex Pistols on the Granada events programme "So It Goes."

During the same period he began promoting the Factory night at the Russel Club, and later started a record label by the same name. The Fledgling Factory Records did much more than simply signing and promoting some of the best new bands of the era. They established a distinct look and style for their releases, from singles to LP's to cassettes and even promotional campaigns, that incorporated all aspects of the presentation of the music into a larger alternative cultural context.

Factory rekindled the idea of a record label identity for itself and its artists, similar to what labels like Blue Note had done for Jazz artists in the past. Factory's innovative approach of music for music's sake inspired other independent labels like 4AD, Creation, Netwerk, ZTT, Cleopatra, Sub Pop, Dischord, and Teenbeat.

Amazingly, while running the label, promoting bands, and managing a nightclub, Wilson continued to host regular television broadcasts for Granada! During the 80's, Tony Wilson hosted a late night show that was one of the first of it's kind in the U.K. It ran very late Sunday nights and covered regional music, literature, and arts in general (and, not surprisingly, included a lot of New Order's music in its presentation). What was the name of the show?

Bonus Question: All of Factory Records' releases had a catalog number, including singles, albums, cassettes, and even things like stationary, posters, a lawsuit, the Hacienda Club, and the cat. FAC 2 was the first music release, a double 7" single that included songs by Joy Division, The Durutti Column, John Dowie, and Cabaret Voltaire. On the outer cover, there is the title ("A Factory Sample) the name of the artists, the catalog number, and a graphic with a slogan underneath (these things all appear on the bootleg versions that turned up later). The graphic in question was used on at least a few other Factory releases. On this particular release (FAC 2), what does the slogan underneath it say?

In 1980, new wave pioneers DEVO released the album "Freedom Of Choice." It was their most commercially successful album, and was second only to their debut LP in terms of quality. The album included several crucial cuts, including the title cut and the smash hit "Whip It." There was another song on the album that may not have been a chart hit, but was a catchy tune, and it was covered by a bunch of other bands. The lyrics include the verse:

"She sings from somewhere you can't see
She sits in the top of the greenest tree
She sends out an aroma of undefined love
It drifts on down in a mist from above"

What's the name of the song?

Bonus Question: For the most part, the rest of the albums DEVO recorded for Warner Brothers were less compelling to the record buying public, and were generally derided by critics. Ironically, DEVO were criticized for displaying the same kind of subversive nature that had initially drawn the publics interest a few years earlier. For example, the band used a poem written by John Hinkley Jr. to Jodie Foster as the basis for the lyrics of a tune from "Oh NO! It's Devo!" Needless to say, it stirred up a lot of controversy. What was the name of the song?

If you'd like more DEVO Trivia, try the DEVO album trivia.

Cuban born pop diva Gloria Estefan rose to stardom back in the 80's, but many may not realize that the band she fronted actually got its start back in 1975. Originally known as the Miami Latin Boys, the band recruited young Gloria Fajado after a wedding gig and changed their name to the Miami Sound Machine.

Gloria Fajado became Gloria Estefan when she married the band's leader, and the group went on to record a series of Spanish language albums for CBS International. The band eventually released an album sung primarily in English and began to cross over into the pop charts. They soon became a big sensation, and their success paved the way for the Latin music scene to blossom in the U.S.

In 1985, Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine had their first top ten hit, and the record holds the distinction of being the first single to simultaneously appear on Billboard's pop, Latin, soul, and dance charts. What was the song?

Bonus Question: In 1999, Gloria Estefan made her feature film debut in "Music Of The Heart," but it wasn't her first movie gig. In 1986, she had a bit part in a made for TV movie that also featured Linda Hamilton, Bill Maher, and Sinbad. What was the name of the film?